A Novel Synthesis of ZnNb₂O₆ Nanoparticles via Combustion Method: Supercapacitor and Photocatalytic Properties

Abstract

In light of the current study's demonstration of the synthesis of Zn doped niobium metal oxide a low‐cost approach is provided for the synthesis of ZnNb2O6 nanoparticles. Using the urea and oxalyl dihydrazide (ODH) as fuel and complexing agent, ZnNb2O6 NPs are synthesized via the solution combustion process. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns reveal that ZnNb2O6 has a columbite‐orthorhombic structure. The field emisssion‐scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) micrographs revealed the presence of uniform and spherically shaped morphology for ZnNb2O6. The role of ZnNb2O6 in the photocatalytic degradation of fuchsin acid dye is investigated under UV‐rays. The remarkable photocatalytic degradation activity of the material is demonstrated with 90% degradation rate. The fabricated electrode is used for the electrochemical analysis of the resultant material. The capacitance of 223 and 198 Fg−1 at a scan rate of 5 Ag−1, respectively, are measured in a 3‐electrode using the chemically generated ZnNb2O6, as per the Galvanostatic charge discharge (GCD) experiment. Furthermore, it exhibited excellent cycling stability, maintaining over 85% of its initial capacitance even after 2000 cycles. The goal of this research is to develop a solution combustion method for synthesizing ZnNb2O6 NPs from urea and ODH so that it may be more effectively tested for electrochemical, sensing, and photocatalytic uses.